Shipping Instruction Template

It becomes the bill of lading

Carriers draft the bill of lading from the shipping instruction, usually with little checking. Spelling of the consignee, the notify party, the description of goods and the marks all carry across as submitted. Amending a bill of lading after issue attracts a fee and, where originals have been released, can require them back first — so the instruction is the last cheap moment to be accurate.

Say who the bill is consigned to

To order, to order of a named bank, or straight to a named consignee are three different commercial positions. A straight bill lets the named consignee collect without producing paper. An order bill is negotiable and can be held until payment. Where a letter of credit is involved, the credit dictates the wording, and it must be followed exactly or the bank will reject the document.

Match the rest of the document set

The description of goods, weights and package counts should agree with the commercial invoice and packing list. Banks examining documents under a letter of credit check consistency between them, and a mismatch is a discrepancy that suspends payment even where the shipment itself is perfect.

Commercial documents · 12

• Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
• Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
• Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
• Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
• Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
• Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
• Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
• Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
• Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
• QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
• Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
• Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.

Declarations & instructions · 10

• Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
• New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
• Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
• DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
• Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
• Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
• Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
• Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
• Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
• Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.

Statutory & customs forms · 11

• CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
• CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
• CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
• Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
• Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
• Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
• Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
• Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
• Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
• Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
• Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.